Is it
not likely, that GWS and MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) are
fundamentally connected, due to chemical injury?

Due to a lack of a
case definition for MCS, (see NewsMCS Case DefinitionStill
Needs Support) it is impossible to get agreement to this
statement from a scientific standpoint. However, what I have
heard about GWF, and when I read the articles posted below,
common sense tells me that both groups are fundamentally the same
because they are brought about by chemical injury. (Editor)

Research

Chemically
Induced Diseases: Synergistic Effects and Cumulative
Injuries caused by Toxic Chemicals -- Understanding the
Gulf War Syndrome and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity [MCS]Richard Alexander. A major breakthrough in
understanding the toxicological impact of multiple
chemical exposures has been discovered by researchers at
Texas Southwestern Medical School and the Duke University
Medical Center. consumerlawpage.com/article/gulfwar.shtml

Research on Gulf War-Associated
Neurologic Illness, By the Division of Epidemiology, UT Southwestern
Medical Center, Robert W. Haley, M.D., Director.Epidemiologist Dr. Robert Haley of UT
Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas has been saying Gulf War
Syndrome exists. His research indicates that some people have an
enzyme that protects them from nerve gas, while others do not.
For summaries of the published research: www.swmed.edu/home_pages/epidemi/gws

Please indicate
whether or not you wish to remain anonymous, and if you
are GWS or MCS.

If we
are both affected by chemical injury, wouldn't it be advantageous
to organize and combine efforts for recognition and treatment?

The need for public and
political recognition is evident to anyone with MCS or
GWS. It would benefit both groups to increase numbers by
comembership in an organization, still retaining our
separate identities. This would allow us to share
information about treatment and diagnosis of the multiple
conditions and diseases brought about by chemical injury.
I wonder how adequate is the treatment offered to GWS
veterans, especially due to the fact that MCS may be
involved.

Mary Kempf, MCS

January 2003

. . .

I think this webpage is
long overdue! Thank-you for putting it up. The government
and public need to know that this illness is not just
hapenning in military personnel but in the general
population too! Have you ever read the letter from Dr.
Nass where she compares MCS to GWS? (See below).
I first e-mailed her a couple of years ago and suggested
she check out the similarities. She has written about
what she has discovered. I think if she dug a little
deeper she would discover that the overlap is closer to
100%. I believe that the ones who are the sickest from
GWS were the ones who responded to her questionnaire that
they did not know of any sensitivity to chemicals. I
believe that these very ill people are under constant
exposure, and therefore, do not know what is causing
their symptoms. If they were put into a clean environment
for a week or two, to get totally cleared of their
reactions, (called unmasking) they would then be
able to tell immediately when they were exposed to
something.

Our soldiers had gas masks in the first Gulf War, but the
chemical alert systems didn't work and/or the soldiers
were told to ignore them. A report on
National Public Radio--Democracy Now! yesterday spoke of
what happens when researchers get too close to
addressing any area of causation of GWS--in this
case, depleted uranium. The transcript
is probably available from Democracy Now! The
researcher lost his job, by the way. As I recall,
the bacterial/parasitic theory was quite some time
ago. Studies by Dr. Robert Haley of Texas and
Dr. Abou-Donia of Duke University are quite
interesting.

Last week CNN-TV reported there were about 209,000 US
Gulf War soldiers asking for help due to something called
Gulf War Syndrome (out of approximately 700,000.)
The figures speak for themselves. Naysayers contend
that these soldiers are malingerers, just as some contend
that the MCS/CI population is. The
truth/reality is that there is no profit in any way,
shape or form in being poisoned. An eye opening
lesson can be learned by joining the Gulf War Syndrome
listserves and/or interviewing Gulf War and Vietnam
(Agent Orange) vets.

In preparation for the possibility of a new war with
Iraq, deployed soldiers are being vaccinated with the
smallpox vaccine. This is known to have a deadly
repercussion for those at risk. Those with
various health problems who come in contact with the
recently vaccinated are also at risk. Future
plans for civilian vaccinations will come to fruition
when the war "officially" begins according to
the administration. Our community is at
major risk from this vaccine, by the way.
Read Mayo on the subject: http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=GA00002&si=1701

(Editor's
Note: Good explanation of the risks of
small pox vaccine exposure to immune compromised
persons.)

The anti-malaria vaccine, Lariam, is causing quite a stir
due to its psychosis-inducing side effects, which include
suicide and homicide. The maker, Roche, has
recently changed their warning label--which, of course,
doesn't alter the dangers. A
controversial trial is currently taking place about the
servicemen vaccinated with Lariam, who committed murder
and suicide when they came home from a tour of
duty.

I suppose being "for" something, is a matter of
perspective. I am for not destroying the
Earth, human and civil rights, justice and recognition
for an emerging group of chemogenic disorders, that are
currently being ignored or discredited.